Christmas-tree holder.



o. A. BLACK, JR. CHRISTMAS TREE HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 19, 1911. Patented J an. 30, 1912 By v Afro/mins.

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CHRISTMAS-TREE HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 30,1912.

Application led October 19, 1911. Serial No. 655,476.

T0 all 107mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. BLACK, J r., residing at Hightstown, in the county of Mercer and State of N ew Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Christmas-Tree I-Iolders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of devices utilized as a means for holding up a Christmas tree, and it has for its object tov provide a holder of this character of a simple and economical construction, that is adapted for supporting any of the ordinary sizes of Christmas trees, that can be almost instantly applied for use and held to its tree supporting position without the aid of screws, clamps or supplemental tying or bracing means, and it also effectively serves its intended purposes.

Another object of my invention is to provide a holding device of the character stated that can be readily folded together for being conveniently packed or shipped.

My invention consists of the peculiarly constructed tree holder hereinafter fully described, specifically pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accom-v panying drawing-in which:

Figure l, is a perspective view of my tree holder, as in use. Fig. 2, is an enlarged perspective view of the holder and illustrates the manner in which it is applied to the base member and the tree trunk. Fig.I 3, is a perspective view of the holder folded for shipping. Fig. 4, is a perspective view of one of the supplemental side sections and the brace member therefor. Fig. 5, is a perspective view of the combined coupling and anchoring member hereinafter referred t0.

In carrying out my invention, I use a number of short sections of steel rod and these are bent upon themselves to form U- shaped side sections l, the-lower ends of which are turned to form eyes 10. A suitable number of the side sections 1 are used, preferably three are shown, and the eye ends of each of the side members or sections are coupled to a split ring 2.

In joining the parts, one end 20 of the ring 2, is passed through all of the eyes l0 of the several sections l and it is then bent inwardly in the horizontal plane to form a striking head 2l for the central or anchoring prong 22 that is made by bending the free end of the ring member down at right angles to the head 2l, as clearly shown in the drawing.

3 designates brace rods of which there is one for each of the side sections l and each of these rods has an eye 30, at one end for loosely joining with the arched end of its respective side section l the other end of the said. rod 3 being sharpened to form a penetrating prong 31, as shown.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the construction of, the advantages and the manner in which my holder is used will be readily apparent.

Iny putting the holder in place, an anchoring prong 2l of the base or coupling ring is driven down into the base on which the tree is to be mounted, and the side sections are closed up to form a socket to receive the tree trunk. After the tree trunk has been placed between the side sections l, they are caused to clamp tightly against the trunk by pushing up the brace rods 3 and they are held clamped to the said trunk to form a rigid support therefor, by reason of driv` -ing the penetrating ends of the braces 3 into the base-board, as shown.

It will be noticed that no screws or clamping nuts or bolts are required to hold the sections l up against` the tree trunk and that any tendency of the said sections becoming loosened can be overcome by forcing the members inwardly and causing them to take another grip in the base-board.

wWhat I claim is:

l. In a Christmas tree holder, a base anchor, a set of uprights hinged to the said anchor, and a brace member hinged to each of the uprights, each of the said brace memberls having a prong for anchoring its free enc.

2. In a Christmas tree holder formed of rod wire, a base ring having an anchoring prong, a set of upright members hingedly secured at one end to the said base ring, means for sustaining the said upright members to any position of adjustment.

3. In a Christmas tree holder, a base ring having an anchoring prong, a set of upright members hingedly secured to one end of the said base ring, means for sustaining the said upright members to any position of adjustment, each of the said upright members consisting of a U-shaped structure,

the end of the arms of which terminate in eye members to receive the said base ring, and the said means 'for holding the said upright members in their adjusted positions consisting of a brace member hinged to the bend of their respective U-shaped structures.

l. As a new article, a Christmas tree holder formed of Wire rods and consisting;`

of a base ring haring a pendent anchoring prongl and a striking head portion for the prong, a series of side sections each consisting of a rod bent upon itself to a fl shape,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

